Draft gear for trailer vehicles



Sept. 14 ,1926. 1,599,426

A. H. KLESA v DRAFT GEAR FOR TR jA vlpER VEHICLES FilQd Feb '21. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 g I I, m I

WEIYTOR. I

v ATTORNEY.

g A. H. KLESA DRAFT GEAR FOR TRAILER VEHICLES Filed Feb. 1923 2- Sheets-Shget 2..

WIT, A W- IIYVE TOR.

15 ATTORNEY}.

proved draft Patented Sept. 14, 1926.

UNITED, STATES;

PATENT-,QFFICE'HF AL ERT'I'I. KLESA; or s'row', OHIO. a

DRAFT GEAR FOR TRAIL ER VEHIdLES.

Application filed February 21, 1923. Serial No. 620,356.

Myv invention consists in anew and im gear for two-wheeled tItHlGI" vehicles I 3 ,1

It has become common practice, especlally since the lntroduction of motor vehicles 1nto general use, to. attach one or more trailersv to a lead vehicle, the latter being itself either power-driven or animal-drawn. I

, Much dl'fliculty, however, has been experienced in getting the vehicles to track properly. Thus, in rounding road curves and street corners, the trailers tend ,to cut'the corner, taking the ditch or mount ng the curb, even when ;the lead vehicle swings V wider than is safe in traffic. Again, in back-- ing, a two-wheeled trailer tends to turn in a direction opposite to that in which the Vehicle to which itjis hitched is turning.

Where a plurality of trailers are hitched in i tandem, an attempt ,to back up usuallyresults in almost hopeless confusion.

Therefore, one of the objects which I have in view is the provision of practical and eflicient means whereby a two-wheeled trail.-

er, or a plurality of two-wheeled trailers hitchedintandem to the lead vehicle, will be caused to accurately track :with the lead vehicle both in forward travel and in backing. c

Another object whichlI have in view is the provision of means whereby the guiding elements of the draft gear will be maintained in tension, thus avoiding buckling.

cAnother object which I have in view is the provision of a draft gear whichwillenable a trailer to be quickly hitched to or unhitched from the lead vehicleor vehicle in v front. v

All),

, torsion betweenthe vehicles.

Generally speaking, my improved draft gear consists of a crosshead which is pivot-v allymounted on the trailer and connected with the lead vehicle in such a manner that it will be maintained in parallelism with the axis of the rear axle of the lead'vehicle,

and operative connection between said cross- Other novel features of. constructionand arran ement of parts will appearfre'm the iollcwmg'description.

, In the accompanying drawings,which,

however, are merely intended to illustrate the best embodiment now known to me of the principles of my invention, Fig 1 is a broken plan view showing my invention adapted for use with a two-wheeled trailer; Fig. 2 is a section taken along the line II- -II in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section taken alongltheline III III in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a' plan view showing the draft gear illustrated :in Fig-l, in use to hitch .a twowheeled trailer to a draft vehicle, the chassis 1 frame being partially broken away, and

Fig. ,5'is a side' view of the trailer chassis,

the springs, axle and wheels being indicated .in dotted lines. v p Thefollowingis a detailed description of the drawings. i i

A represents-therearaxle of the draft vehicle, in the drawings shown as a Ford autotrailerhavingits wheels 2 mounted on spindle axles 3 which are pivotally connected to the axle B on the vertical axes/l, 5 representing thesteering arms which are connected by the usual drag link 6. C represents members 7, and supported on the axle B by the springs 8.

D;represents afront crosshead connectec to the lead vehicle in a manner later dea scribed, but, generally, of such a character that it is maintained in a'vertical plane parallel with the vertical plane which includes the rear axle A, or, in other words, at right anglesto the longitudinal; axis ofthe lead mountedadjacent. to "the trailer axle Band connected to the crosshead D in such a manner as to maintain a constant relation thereto., 5

The two crossheads are centrallyvpivoted,

either directly to the chassis frame C, or as shown, to; the opposite ends of a longitudin ally disposedtongue or member Fwhich is ,bolted to the underside of the chassis cross- .Qmembers 7 at the center of the same; Thus,

the frontend'of the tongue F is connected to thecrosshead D by the universal joint 9 7 .while the rear end'of the tongue is connected to the rear crosshead E by the joint 10 having a vertical axis.

The extremities of thelcrossheads are connectedtogether by the connecting rods G :whiehare connected-tethe front crosshead mobile, upon which are mounted the driving wheels 1; B is the axle of the two-wheeled the chassis frame of thetrailer having cross vehicle. E represents. a second crosshead wheels the rear "'crosshe'ad'D in such a manner as to turn .111 unison with said crosshea'th'but tained in parallelism.

The spindles 3, upon which the trailer are mounted,are coupled up to int-he reverse direction.

Thus, 13'is an arm rigid orintegral with the crosslread E and extending rearwardly "from the axis of its rotation. The end of "said arm 13 is oper'atively connected to said spindles. fT-hus said arm has a-loall 'end 1 1 "which is journaled 7 in 'a "socket 15 on *the end of a leve'r f6which"is-connectedto one 'o ii'the steering-arms 5. As already" stated, the connection is to'the arm 5 which will produce a swing to the spindles which is the reverse-o fthe swing "to the cross'he'ad, but

of like degree. I

The attachment-or the front cros'shead D to the lead vehicle is such as to't-ake up'tor- 'sion'ona horizontal axis, and also to permit quick and easy" lutchrn'gand unhitchmg'.

"Thus 1 have shown the "crosshead D provided Zwith 'a centrally' disposed, cylindrical sleeve 17in which is =slidalo'ly mounted the draw pin 18. .lhe "-front end of the sleeve is provided with 'airinternal flange forming thefanniilarshoulder 19. The pin1 8 has a head 20 which slides in *the sleeve, and 21 is a "helical spring -co'iled about the pin 'between its head and the shoulder.

Thus a forward pull on the pin 18 will be-resiliently transferred tothe crosshead 'lTby-"the compression of-the spring The forwardly protruding portion of the pin -18 is;provided with a portion 21 of reduced diameter definedat "the rear =by the shoulder 22'and at the -'front'endbythehead TI isa blo'ck, such-as a-c'asting'*-l1avi1ig formed on its upper face the lower lia'li 2-1 eta-sleeve socket of proper radius t'oj-s'nugly lit about the smaller diameter of thein The sleeve is completedby-thetop p ate 2'5 pivotally attached to one side of thelilock by means (if "the boltj 26" extending through the opposed piereed'ears 9 7 ot-the block H and extending through a transverse *hole in end (ii the plate is slotte d' as at- 32, so' that when it is swung down in'place over the 'tically to "engage fsai'd slot, and" the "nut 83 screwed down on the bolt against the plate '25., thus'clampi'ng the plate on the block and also clamping the draw pin in its socket. 3-4 is a handle pivoted to the nut 33 on a hori-zontal;.-axis, so that said handle may be raised and used to tighten or loosen the nut.

if the iniu-t be ileosened, so that the bolt 28 may be swung out of engagement with the slotted' e'nd off the plate 25, said plate may be raised, and the draw pin 18 lifted from its sodket, thus unhitc'hing the trailer from the lead vehicle. Likew ise'when the draw pin 18 is placed in half socket of the "block, the plate '25's-wung into' the position shown, the "bolt 28 s'i'vung up into engagement with "the slotted endyof the plate and the nut 33 tightened, the traiier hitched to thelead vehicle. 5

The method of connecting the bars"37 to the new; vehicle may he variedto suit difflere'iit vehicle combinations. Thus. said hairs may heeenneeted' directly-to t'he chassis, or "to t -he rear axle A.

"Thahlo'ck [H "has 'the iorwa'rdly flaring t-rontfedge er the jplateby-the cross ,Iflange '36. The flanges '35 are pierced to receive "the 'bolts by whichthe rear -ends of the'connecti-n'g bars-'37 are secured -tothefblock H. "Theirontends-of the bars '37 are attached to the lead vehic'le. Thus, in the cas'e of a Ford automobile the bars are'extended un- -"der therear spring'38 and are secured thereto at either side-of' its center by the id bolts 39 encompassing the spring and having their 'ends eiitendin g down through holes in the bars andsecured by nuts. I g

It is evident that the crosshea'd D will thus be maintained in a vertical plane parallel with the vertical plane in which the axle A is includedfbut said azl'e and said crosshe'ad" may "turn relative to each other on horizontal' axes without danger.

"lt is also'evidentthat when 'in rounding a curve or turninga corner, the-drivingaxle turns to=one-sideor the otherythe crossheads D and E will swing in unison. therewith thus maintaining their parallelism. This swinging of the crossheads will result in turning the spindles 3 in thereverse direction but to the same degree. *Thus 'the trailer will 'iaith'fully follow "the curve or -turn'which isbeing taken'bythe rear wheels of the lead vehicle, and therefore the :trailer "will track with the rear-wheels of the lead vehicle.

iln baeking ,theycrossheads will similarly -reproduce the turn "of the axle A, and thus sliift the wheels of the trailer, so that said trailer *willtlescribe a curvewhich will be followed 'by the wheels-of the lead vehicle. Thus the trailer will always turn in the same direction as the lead -vehicle'-either in for -ward'-'travel-or inbaeking.

It is evident that when *the connecting rods G are kept prop'erlytaut; they are both side flanges 35 conn'ected together at {the corners with case.

What I desire to claim is 1. A coupling for draft gear for connecting a trailer vehicle with a vehicle in front thereof comprising, a block containing a half-socket attached to the front vehicle, a draw pin connected to the draft gear and adapted to engage and extend through said socket, and a half-socket member adapted to be clamped down on said block to complete said socket member to hold the draw pin therein, said pin having an enlarged head at its front end toprevent its being drawn through the socket.

A coupling for draft gear for connecting a trailer vehicle with a vehicle in front thereof comprising, a block containing a half-socket attached to the front vehicle," a

draw pin connected to the draft gear and adapted to engageand extend throughsaid socket, a half-socket member pivotally attached to said block and adapted to be clamped down thereon to complete the socket and hold the draw pin therein, said pin having an enlarged head at its front end to prevent its being drawn through the socket.

3. A coupling for draft gear for connecting a trailer vehicle with a vehicle in front thereof comprising a draw pin connected to the draft gear and having a cylindrical portion defined at each end by a circumferential shoulder, a block attached to. the front vehicle and provided with a half-socket into which the cylindrical portion of said pin fits, and a half-socket member adapted to be clamped on said block to complete said socket and hold the draft pin therein.

4. A coupling for draft gear for connecting a trailer vehicle with a vehicle in front thereof comprising a draw pin connected to the draft gear and having a cylindrical portion defined at each end by acircumferen- U vehicle having its tial shoulder, a block attached to the front vehicle and provided with a half-socket into which the cylindrical portion of said pin fits, and a half-socket member pivotally attached to said block and adapted to be clamped down thereon to complete the socket and hold the draft pin therein.

5. In draft gear for a two-wheeled trailer vehicle having its wheels mounted on spindles pivotally attached to the ends of the axle,

the combination of a pair of spaced apart 'crossheads pivotally mounted on the longithe lead vehicle whereby the latter turns in unison with the, former, parallel. connecting rods connecting the corresponding ends of tudinal axis of the vehicle chassis, operative connection between the front crosshead and the two cross heads, adrag link connecting the wheel spindles, and operativeconnection between the drag link and the rear cross head whereby said spindles are turned by the turning of the rear cross head.

6. In draft gear for a two-wheeled trailer 7 spindles pivotally attached to the ends of the axle, a pair of spaced apart cross heads pivotally mounted on the longitudinal axis ofthe chassis in advanceiof the axle, the front cross head being operatively connected to the lead vehicle to turn in unison with the latter, parallel link connection between the corresponding ends of the cross heads, a'

drag link connecting the spindles, and operative connection betweenthe drag link and the rear cross head whereby when said cross head is turned the wheels are simultaneously turned in the proper 'direction' 7. In draft gear for a two-wheeled trailer vehicle having its wheels mounted on spindles pivotally attached to the ends of the axle, a pair of'spacedapart cross heads pivotally mounted on thelongitudinal axis of the chassis inadva'nce of the axle, the front cross head being operatively connected to the lead vehicle to turn. in unison with the latter, parallel link connection between the corresponding ends of the cross heads, and operative connection between the drag link I and; the rear cross headwhereby the turning of the cross head turns the wheels; in the opposite direction.

Signed at Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio,ithis 15' day of Feb, 1923,

wheels mounted on ALBERL H. KLESA. i 

